This invention is directed to a method of making an emulsion or microemulsion that is stable in the presence of an alcohol.
Thus, when silicone copolyethers are added to silicone-in-water emulsions or microemulsions, stability in the presence of lower alkyl alcohols is the result. Such stability is useful in applications in arenas including personal care, household care, and automotive care, as well as in applications in the coating industry.
Silicone emulsions are not generally stable in the presence of an alcohol. In fact, alcohols such as methanol, ethanol, and isopropanol are used to separate emulsions into two phases in order to analyze their contents.
While European Application 459500 published Dec. 4, 1991, makes reference to the preparation of emulsions and microemulsions in the presence of an alcohol, the European Application fails to teach the combination of an alcohol with a silicone polyether. In fact, silicone polyethers are not even mentioned as being a component in the European Application.